Articles
Colon cancer screening: Weighing the options
What is your attitude toward screening tests?
What is your doctor's approach to screening tests?
What is your risk level?
Content
What preparation is involved?
How convenient is the test?
What about cost and insurance issues?
What's your attitude toward screening tests?
What's your doctor's approach to screening tests?
What's your risk level?
What are the pros and cons of each test?
What's the bottom line?
What's your risk level?
Your risk of colon cancer might influence your choice of screening tests. If you have an increased risk of colon cancer, your doctor might recommend more-frequent colon cancer screening with colonoscopy.
Talk to your doctor about your colon cancer risk if you:
- Have a personal history of colon cancer or precancerous polyps
- Have a parent, sibling or child who has had colon cancer
- Carry a gene for a hereditary colon cancer syndrome
- Have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
